Church as Chosen Lady #1 of 7:

To the elect lady and her children…

The children of your elect sister send you their greetings.

(Second John first verse and last verse)

Watching the cousins play, laugh, fuss, and in general, navigate their way together through our New Year family gathering at Mission Beach; caused me to think of how John the Elder honored the chosen cousins of the elect ladies (2Jn). That’s how John speaks of the church. He refers to the specific church, in a particular place like Pleasanton, for example, as the “elect lady”. And, since he writes his one page letter, more like a postcard, from another church in a different town, say Ephesus, he refers to his church as the “elect sister”. And all those who gather in Jesus’ name are “her children”. So, if I’ve got this right, it looks like this:

            Local Church:                                     Elect or Chosen Lady

            Congregation:                                     Children of the Elect Lady

            Other Local Churches:                        Elect or Chosen Sisters

            Other Congregations:                          Children of the Elect Sisters

            All who Gather in Jesus’ Name:         Cousins

Did I get that right?

I’m thinking how each family is different—unique; yet, each family shares something deep, all the way down into their “bone and marrow” (Hb 4), that holds them together in a unique bond that transcends age and gender, sports fan or Harry Potter fan. When they gather together “face to face”, there is, as John the Elder says, “love… and much joy”.